On mobile, I can still read direct links to reddit posts that crop up on HN using Firefox for Android. Can't say same for the Twitter, which just says, "You need to enable javascript." Well, I won't.
None of the real value of Reddit is coming from the parts of it that resemble Twitter or 4Chan.
Also count me as another person who abhors the "new" UI. Every once in a while I get bounced out of the old UI and I don't know how people do it. The old UI isn't my perfect UI but it's darn near close to it.
This is fine if you consciously remember this while browsing, but when you start to believe that you can get a pulse from "real people" on Reddit, you've already lost the game. Remember: to even post a comment on Reddit already puts you in a niche group of people who use Reddit.
This becomes self-reinforcing as well, everyone else will feel alienated even if they do get over the hurdle of commenting, while those who fit the aforementioned mold will feel at home. Can't get much of a pulse, unless you specifically want to know what a very certain demographic feels once you filter out all the fanboyism and astroturfing.
Which is the bigger problem, someone coming to a niche place to debate, or someone who believes adding reddit to their google searches is going to provide them with better insight? I'd say the latter: they aren't conscious of the BS being pushed onto them.
Also kind of funny your comment is an exact demonstration of what I mean, that self-reinforcing style of "comedy" coupled with a nonsensical assumption.
Like OP said there's certainly niche subreddits.
What grew Reddit for me was the informed comments that were generally related to the discussion and often brought more light to a topic than the posted article.
With voices leaving Reddit the point or appeal of it is gone. For me at least.
Only if you use Google to search! ;)
[0]: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/old-reddit-re...
It used to be that clicking outside the central border of comments would navigate you back to the subreddit, but it looks like they have fixed that.
I'm pretty sure they're going to kill off old reddit, which will 100% certainly mark the end of my 15 years there.
Old reddit supports neither resulting in broken links and broken code blocks.
What, did you prefer the site in the days of the Chimpire? Jailbait? Reddit's history has been the perfect case-study in the downsides of a libertarian approach to moderation. They've come to where they are now because every other approach resulted in horrifying racism, sexual exploitation, disinformation, and abuse.
I had a topic about the speed of light on askscience get deleted because the mods weren’t in the right mood that day. There is indeed a middle ground and we aren’t there.
Reddit’s model doesn’t work with what they want to do with the site. And things that worked when it had 1M, 10M users no longer do.
I do wish there was much more transparency around "power-moderators" though.